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2024-4-12

Japan’s National Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals in Fiscal Year 2022

The Ministry of the Environment and the National Institute for Environmental Studies have released Japan’s National Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removals for fiscal year (FY)1 2022.
Greenhouse gas emissions and removals for FY2022 were 1,085 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2 eq.), showing a 2.3% (25.1 Mt CO2 eq.) decrease compared to FY2021. This was a 22.9% (322.1 Mt CO2 eq.) decrease compared to FY2013.

Emissions of F-gases (HFCs, PFCs, SF6, and NF3) totaled 51.7 Mt, which was a 1.4% decrease compared to 2021 and marking the first decrease since 2009. For HFCs, emission factors (leak ratios during operation) for 2016 onward were revised to reflect the introduction of measures implemented to prevent leaks during operation, following amendments to the Act on Rational Use and Proper Management of Fluorocarbons.

In this year’s report to the United Nations, for the first time in the world, Japan has estimated and reported a total of approximately 0.35 Mt of removals in seagrass meadows and macroalgal beds, which constitute a part of blue-carbon ecosystems.

Additionally, Japan, for the first time in the world, has estimated and reported a total of approximately 17 tonnes of removals (CO2 fixation) by three types (four products) of environmentally friendly concrete. J-credit accreditation will also be considered.

Footnote 1: Japan’s fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31.
 


Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Japan in FY2022 were 1,135 Mt CO2 eq. This was a 2.5% decrease compared to FY2021 and a 19.3% decrease compared to FY2013.

A possible main factor for the decrease in emissions as compared to FY2021 is the reduced energy consumption. This is due to the significant effect of electricity/energy-saving efforts in the Industry, Commercial and other, and Residential sectors.

The main factor for the decrease in emissions of F-gases (HFCs, PFCs, SF6, and NF3) was the decreased emissions of HFCs, following regulations put in place on production and consumption based on the Act on the Protection of the Ozone Layer through the Control of Specified Substances and Other Measures, and following the promotion of transition to refrigerants with lower-GWPs (Global Warming Potentials) and measures against emissions during operation/disposal based on the Act on Rational Use and Proper Management of Fluorocarbons.

Removals for FY2022 were 50.2 Mt CO2 eq., representing a 6.4% decrease compared to FY2021. This decrease in removals is thought to be mainly due to the slowing of growth in intensively managed mature forests.

As for Blue Carbon, in addition to the estimation and reporting of removals by mangroves last year, removals in seagrass meadows and macroalgal beds were estimated and reported for the first time in the world, with the cooperation of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (for land area data) and the Fisheries Agency (for removal coefficients by type of meadow/bed). Salt and tidal marshes will also be considered in the future.

For environmentally friendly concrete, removals (CO2 fixation) were estimated, for the first time in the world, for three types (four products) of concrete - CO2 fixing concrete during manufacturing (CO2-SUICOM), concrete using CO2-origin material (T-eConcrete/Carbon-Recycle, Clean-Crete N), and concrete using biochar (SUSMICS-C). This estimation was possible as scientific knowledge and data became available with the cooperation of the Japan Federation of Construction Contractors. Estimations will be added when knowledge and data are newly acquired. J-credit accreditation will also be considered, referencing the developed estimation methodology.

April 12, 2024
Ministry of the Environment
Government of Japan
Greenhouse Gas Inventory Office of Japan
National Institute for Environmental Studies

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